December 14th, 1975: Scott Joplin’s opera “Treemonisha” closes at Uris Theater NYC after 64 performances.

Scott Joplin is known as the “King of Ragtime”, famous for such compositions like “The Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer”.

A travelling musician, Joplin was at the Chicago World Fair in 1893, where Ragtime became a national craze. He went on to publish his own Ragtime compositions before starting his own Opera Company and composing operas, self-publishing his ” Treemonisha” opera in 1911.

Joplin’s music was largely forgotten after his death in 1917 but rediscovered in the 1960s and 1970s. The film “The Sting” (1973) featured music inspired by Scott Joplin and Marvin Hamlisch won an Academy Award for his soundtrack. His version of the “The Entertainer” then became a top ten hit.

Born: November 24, 1868
Birthplace: Texarkana, Texas, USA

Died: April 1, 1917 (aged 48)
Cause of Death: Syphilitic dementia